Some people say the press release is dead.

Do you know what I say to those people?

They’re writing the wrong press release and have the incorrect PR materials.^[1]

When properly constructed, a press release can be your key to getting featured in top-tier publications and noticed by well-respected journalists.

But the keyword there is properly.

Journalists receive dozens (and that’s probably an understatement) of press releases in their inbox every single day. Will yours stand apart from the rest? Or be sent to the dreaded trash bin, never to be seen again (and certainly, never to be written about).

Luckily, you don’t need to do your own research on how to write a press release^[2]. We’ve done it for you! And gathered top-notch advice from more than a dozen public relations professionals on everything from boilerplates to event press releases^[3].

Next time you’re writing and pitching any of these types of press releases^[4], keep in mind the following advice.

Then, sit back and watch the media coverage come through.

We asked PR professionals their best advice on writing press releases that perform. Here’s what they had to say.  

Press Release Tip #1

Do everything you can to show that you know the publication you’re pitching, so your press release looks less like a generic mass e-mail. For example, when I send press releases to industry magazines, I might change up the subject line and first paragraph depending on whether the magazine is for the plumbing, HVAC, or electrical industry.

Make it as easy as you can for journalists who receive your press release. Writers these days have to generate ideas and work fast, so if you can include a few good article/post ideas that can be very helpful—just a headline and quick description of the idea and how you can help. Make sure the ideas aren’t all about you, you, you, but would incorporate different viewpoints/products including yours. So instead of Why our wedding website is the leading website in the industry, you could try Top 10 Ways to Avoid Wedding Scams (where of course one piece of advice might be to go to your website to vet vendors).